A quick update. First few days wearing theGround Effect Manta Ray I am IMPRESSED. It has coped very nicely with the warm to hot days of riding. Wicks sweat away very nicely. Ground Effect have won me over for sure.

Aushiker wrote:A quick update. First few days wearing theGround Effect Manta Ray I am IMPRESSED. It has coped very nicely with the warm to hot days of riding. Wicks sweat away very nicely. Ground Effect have won me over for sure.

Andrew

+1

The Manta Ray looks really good too.

My bank account hates me due to my addiction to Ground Effect gear. I have a couple of the Zip Tie jerseys (as well as the rain pants and undershorts) and absolutely love it all.

Pros: They provide good protection from the sun, comfortable fit and fabric, look good, bright and visible colours, fast drying and easy to hand wash etc.

Downsides: expensive(ish), the fabric gets snags/pulls which looks crap, you have to wash them once every few days (they don't last as long as Merino between washes, but they do dry 5x faster!).

These will be my main cycling jerseys while touring through Europe during late summer. I find they are great in temps ranging from around ~12 to 40 degrees C. They also work really well as a base layer underneath my Showers Pass jacket in warmer temps (8-15 degrees C) as the material is smooth, comfortable non-itchy, wicks away sweat, provides warmth without being too warm.

All a matter of perspective eg. my first pair of Sputniks cycling knicks, purchased in 1998 - still in use today and used a lot; or my Frosty Boy windproof top, bought around 1999 and still in regular all-year round use.

elStado wrote:you have to wash them once every few days (they don't last as long as Merino between washes, but they do dry 5x faster!)

Get some of their Submerino base layers, Berglar long-sleeved riding jersey or other merino products. For a summer top try the Median Strip or Ristretto

Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.

elStado wrote:Downsides: expensive(ish), the fabric gets snags/pulls which looks crap, you have to wash them once every few days (they don't last as long as Merino between washes, but they do dry 5x faster!).

The snagging issue maybe the jersey material, rather than a brand issue. I am not having that problem so far with the Manta Ray but the Manta Ray is made of Intercool material which is different from the Zip Tie which is made from HyperActive.

The Manta Ray wasn't smelling, I was but, and this was after four days of hot riding. Washed and dried easily as you suggest.

il padrone wrote:Get some of their Submerino base layers, Berglar long-sleeved riding jersey or other merino products. For a summer top try the Median Strip or Ristretto

The base layers don't have pockets though, do they? I need rear pockets while cycling to put keys, tissues and other misc things in. Less important while touring, but I also wear these while commuting.

Aushiker wrote:The snagging issue maybe the jersey material, rather than a brand issue. I am not having that problem so far with the Manta Ray but the Manta Ray is made of Intercool material which is different from the Zip Tie which is made from HyperActive.

The Manta Ray wasn't smelling, I was but, and this was after four days of hot riding. Washed and dried easily as you suggest.

Andrew

Yeah it's the fabric, not the model. HyperActive and similar fabrics are prone to getting snags. They explicitly warn of this on the GE website and suggest to get a jersey made of Intercool if you want something a bit more loose fitting and durable. So there's full disclosure on their part. I still prefer the HyperActive though, just because it lighter and more breathable.

I prefer a long sleeve jersey for summer riding as it negates the need to use suncream on your forearms.. one less thing to worry about cleaning off at the end of the day,

But they are winter styles, whereas the ones that elStado has got are summer styles. It would be be nice if they made a couple summer jersey in lightweight merino that would be a nice add to the range.